The Sanctuary of the Santissimo Salvatore in Montella (Avellino) is located on the apex of the mountain of the same name. A first small church dedicated to the Trinity was founded in the second half of the 15th century, but already in 1541 it took the name of the Saviour because of the statue that was transferred there from the parish church. From 1780, the small church was enlarged and was transformed into what is roughly the complex it is today. During the same years, the liturgical hall was embellished with Baroque plasterwork and other embellishments, two new marble altars and an organ, commissioned from the Neapolitan organ builder Francesco Gallo in 1782. During the work to enlarge the church, the administrator Nicola Verzella collected offerings from the people to have two bells, weighing approximately 1782kg and 713kg respectively, cast in 1783 by brothers Armidoro and Francesco Marinelli of Agnone at the site of the sanctuary itself; in 1799, under threat of French occupation, the larger one was moved to the bell tower of the Collegiate Church (where it still stands) and the smaller one broke in 1845. This was recast and enlarged (c. 1960kg) in 1848 by Fiore Tarantino of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, but it broke in 1855; the following year the recasting was entrusted to the Marinelli of Agnone. In the meantime, the bell tower had been completed in 1853 and the new bell was moved from its original location under the loggia to the new tower.
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☛ Bell in D flat cast in situ in 1856 by Ercole and Alessandro Marinelli of Agnone (IS).
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In the video, two hand bells can be heard; five bellringers are playing. The bell is very difficult to carry because, in addition to being very heavy, it is placed on bushings and is unbalanced outwards. It can be rung freely by anyone during opening hours at www.santuariosalvatore.org/.
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For further information: bellsalerno@gmail.com
Italian Bell Association website: www.campanologia.org/
©Ermenegildo Guerra, 24/09/23
USE PROHIBITED: the multimedia material in this video is the intellectual property of the author